Chosen
by Call-Me-Doghead
Summary: Viral is confused about why Simon chose him. He soon finds that Simon is confused as well. Takes place immediately after the end of the series, so it's spoiler-city all the way through.


Title: Chosen

Pairing: Viral/Simon

Rating: M

Summary: Viral is confused about why Simon chose him. He soon finds that Simon is confused as well.

Warnings: This is my first fic ever. It takes place right after the final episode so it's spoiler-city all the way through. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy it :).

EDIT: Had this thing posted for this long before I realized the site took out the page breaks in my formatting. That's what I get for not paying attention. Sorry if there was any confusion due to this!

Status: Complete

Overall Length: 2907

* * *

Viral couldn't say why he was sitting outside Simon's room. It had been weeks since his life turned completely upside down. Since he was chosen. Viral resigned himself to prison, then to death by the Anti-Spirals, for even an immortal isn't immune to being obliterated by a gunmen the size of the moon, but Viral never imagined sitting in the cockpit of the gunmen once piloted by the legendary Kamina and helping his former enemies save the universe.

Perhaps that was the limitation of a beastman: A lack of vision.

But Simon had chosen him nonetheless. The Dai-Gurren Dan all proved to Viral to be strong, valuable allies on the battlefield, any of them could have piloted Gurren.

_So why did Simon choose me? A former enemy with no spiral power of my own?_

Viral slouched against the wall opposite Simon's door. He had been raised as a warrior in Lordgenome's army. Under Lordgenome, he was nothing more than a replaceable clone, so he had to fight constantly to prove himself worthy of his own life.

Absentmindedly, he traced a scar on his muscular chest, one of many wounds obtained in the savage conflicts among his kind. Their repressed DNA screamed at them to evolve, but without spiral energy, it left them confused about these feelings, and apt to take them out on one another through displays of dominance, altercations, or other, more unpleasant means. Living among beastmen was a daily struggle to dominate those beneath you, a sad caricature of natural selection.

All the true animals, the ones that possessed spiral energy, died off from the surface long ago during the first Anti-Spiral war. Now the only animals on the surface were Lordgenome's bizarre creations. So the beastmen could find no teacher in nature, only in Lordgenome. Considering this, it was no surprise that he was regarded as a god. But after the death of Lordgenome and the victory of the humans, everything Viral worked for, the appreciation of his station by both superiors and underlings, his one outlet for his repressed desire to evolve dried up.

Yet, with the humans, with Simon, Viral didn't have to constantly prove himself. They all trusted him to do his best. They showed real appreciation for his abilities rather than seeing ways to exploit his weaknesses. Everyone had their own personal power, they didn't need to steal it or shame it from others.

For this, Viral found comfort among them. He felt fondness. He felt...

Viral snapped himself out of his thoughts and distracted himself by digging through his pack for the small time-telling device a human had given him back when he was in exile underground. Beastmen didn't have much use for things like that, but it had proven useful when he didn't have the sun and stars as a guide.

It was half an hour after the wedding, or the funeral depending on how one saw it. Viral flinched, thinking back to it.

_Dammit Simon, always have to look brave for everyone._

He knew Simon would be returning to his quarters soon to pick up a few things before leaving. He was probably off tying up loose ends at the capital building. Viral wished suddenly that he had gone after Simon, but he still had some dignity, and didn't want to go chasing the coattails of someone he considered his equal. He would wait for him - here. Viral closed his eyes and leaned back. He knew how to be patient.

* * *

"Hey Viral, what are you doing here?"

Fierce, golden eyes snapped open to see Simon approaching down the hallway. His surprise settled into an aloof smirk.

"So, where are you going?" Viral dodged his question.

"This life here in the capital isn't for me. I'm not cut out for the bureaucracy of managing a city. All I know how to do is fight and drill," Simon took a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. "You can come in, Viral."

Viral entered behind Simon, taking in the small but comfortable looking room.

He continued, "So I'm going to see the world we all helped to save. I want to meet all the people we fought for. And..."

"Believe me human, I understand. I couldn't tolerate sitting in that office all day with Rossiu."

Simon laughed, "He can be a little stuffy." He paused at his dresser, "Look, I gotta pack a few things and change into something more...suitable for travel, but make yourself comfortable."

Viral didn't want to admit that the thing that made him feel comfortable was Simon, so he sat in a chair instead. Trying to distract himself, he picked up a framed photograph on the nightstand. It was of Simon and Nia looking happy together. Viral's chest tightened. Then a feeling of intense awkwardness washed over him. What was he even doing here? Simon hadn't even had time to grieve over Nia, the last thing he needed was someone else bothering him. Viral replaced the photo and made his way to the door.

"Leaving so soon? What's wrong?"

"Nia just died and you're asking me what's wrong?" He shot back, regretting his words as soon as they came out of his mouth.

Simon looked stunned for a moment, as if he didn't realize Nia had died right in his arms not an hour ago, then looked down solemnly. His face looked like it aged years in those few seconds.

Viral's face creased with anger at himself. He closed his eyes, unable to look at his friend, "I'm sorry Simon, that was uncalled for."

Simon sighed, "I've been putting up this front for everyone, trying to be the Simon that led them to the ends of the universe. But I feel like the Simon that just lost Kamina." His lips drew tight, as if it could somehow hold in all the emotions that threatened to spill forth. "I should be straightforward with you, Viral. Part of why I'm leaving is so I don't have to maintain an image of strength when I don't feel very strong right now. She's gone, I've accepted that, but...I guess I'm just tired of losing people."

Simon sat on the end of his bed, staring off at the wall in front of him, eyes not particularly focused on anything. Viral stood in the doorway, watching him carefully. Silence stretched out between the two.

Unable to take it anymore, Viral broke the trance, walking over to the bed and putting his gray hand on Simon's shoulder, an act of affection he had so rarely been afforded by his fellows. It felt awkward to do.

The beastman jumped slightly at a sound that broke the silence. Simon was...laughing? Not a cold, ironic laughter. It was warm, if somewhat melancholy. "You know, after everything I've been through for the past 8 years, you'd think nothing would really phase me anymore. But I never thought I'd receive a reassuring pat on the shoulder from you. I guess there are still surprises for me in this world."

Viral looked at him wide-eyed for a moment, then grinned widely, "You think you're the only one who's surprised? How do you think I feel?"

Simon approached the question seriously, "How do you feel Viral?"

Temporarily quieted by Simon's straightforwardness -something he should have been used to by now- Viral mulled it over in his head. He sat next to Simon, absorbing what comfort he could in order to deal with the decidedly uncomfortable question, "I'm not sure how I feel, that's why I'm here." He paused, "Simon, why did you choose me?"

* * *

Simon didn't play dumb, he knew what Viral was asking. He wondered briefly if there was an even deeper layer to the question, but quickly dismissed the thought. Dangerous to go there. "I...I guess I never gave it much thought."

This answer seemed to crush Viral, causing him to flinch as if he had been hit. He managed a dry laugh, seemingly at his own expense, "Ah, why did it not occur to me before? You humans are all about diving recklessly into things without any forethought."

Simon frowned at his apparent inability to express himself, "No, what I mean is-" he paused to find the right words, "-it was like instinct. It...felt right, having you at my side."

Viral nodded, apparently content with this answer, "It did - feel right, that is. Being with you. I've never felt this way before."

Simon flushed a little. Viral seemed oblivious to the implications of the statement, which Simon found kind of cute. Realizing that he found Viral cute made him even redder. He got up to change his clothes so his partner wouldn't notice.

"Heh, all this talking, I forgot what I came here for. Gotta change into something more durable for the road."

"Right."

"Can't exactly wander around in a white suit."

The beastman only eyed him, not unaware of his sputtering, but apparently not willing to humor him either.

Simon slowly breathed out, calming his fluttering heart. He dug through a drawer and pulled out a black sleeveless shirt and the work slacks he had worn in prison.

Prison...

Viral...

_Is everything going to remind me of him now?_

"Uh, I'm...going to change now."

"Ok," the beastman made no motion to leave or even look away.

Simon silently cursed the beastman's lack of appropriate shame - which he didn't exactly possess himself except at this moment apparently. He supposed it was a cultural thing. Beastmen had no spiral energy, no ability to procreate, so he guessed they didn't have a sex drive either. Or so he hoped in this particular instance anyway.

_What is wrong with me? He says one totally innocent thing, and I'm getting all worked up over it. It's Viral, he's a beastman, he probably doesn't even know what sex is._

Simon felt like he was moving through quicksand as he slowly peeled the shirt off his body and threw it on a chair. His bare chest now exposed, he watched Viral fixedly. The silence was interrupted only by the faint sound of the ticking clock on the wall. Simon's eyes were locked onto Viral's, who looked back at him with a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

In this pause, this moment of deafening quiet and stillness, Simon contemplated his friend before him. This was certainly not the first time he had considered Viral in such a light. Ever since prison, his view of the beastman had changed. And, he mentally added, it was a particularly nice view when they were in the shower room together. Viral probably would have brushed it off if asked, but Simon guessed his intervention in his fight with the chicken beastman was a veiled attempt to save his life and rekindle the fire inside him.

Simon remembered how Viral let the beastman's talons pierce his skin to get a better hold on his opponent. How quickly his wounds healed, unlike the wounds of the fallen that littered the path toward an emancipated universe.

Simon inwardly flinched, suddenly reminded of those who had passed in his life. His parents, Kamina, Kittan, Makken, Zorthy, Iraak, Jorgun, Barinbou, Kidd - Nia. His life was fraught with danger and risk, and worse, those who were most drawn to Simon were themselves bright stars that could burn out at any time. But Viral was given the gift of immortality. Simon would never have to worry about losing him, would never have to hold back or slow down. While Viral didn't have spiral power, he possessed something far more unique: he could handle Simon's raw, unfettered spiral power and all the chaos that inevitably became drawn to it. It was with Viral steadying and refining his fierce spiral energy that he found the strength in himself to defeat the Anti-Spirals. It was with Viral that he could loosen the restraints on his soul, and free the wildness in his heart. It brought him a rare sense of self-assured peace.

He needed Viral, and while a part of him even wanted him, he firmly decided that it would go no farther than friendship. A fantasy is a fantasy, and reality was just outside the door. The door - which he would have to pass Viral to get to. Viral...

...

...

"I'm not going to have sex with you."

"Excuse me?"

The color drained out of Simon's face, realizing what he just said to the beastman.

"Has all that spiral energy finally gone to your head?" Now Viral looked incredulous instead of merely stunned.

If spiral energy could reverse time, Simon was sure that he would have found a way to do it. He just had to get his core drill back from Gimmy and everything would go back to-

"Hey! Are you even listening?" Viral was standing up now. His mouth an upside down crescent, fangs bared. Definitely anger.

_Well, at least we aren't angsting anymore._

"Ahhhh..." Simon briefly considered escaping through the window, but decided he owed it to his partner to explain, "I love you."

_Wait, that wasn't it. Shit. Try again._

"I mean..."

Before Simon could get another word in, Viral had him pressed against the wall, kissing him passionately. Simon stiffened in shock, then, to his surprise, melted into it. His arms lifted slowly, tentatively, then wrapped around Viral's tight, lean body.

Simon hazarded a guess that a reassuring pat on the shoulder from his former enemy was not going to be the only surprise he was going to experience that day.

* * *

Viral was no spiral being, had no concept of what it was like, but he figured the fire burning in his chest for the human in his arms had something to do with it. Kissing was not foreign to him, he understood the practice, although as a warrior under the Helix King, he never had enough of a personal life for intimate contact himself, except -he thought bitterly- that which was forced on him by Lordgenome's generals.

A metallic tang settled on Viral's tastebuds. He pulled back to look at Simon. The ex-commander was blushing intensely, but the red that Viral was looking for came down in a trickle from his mouth. Simon's hand reached up to wipe away blood inflicted by Viral's razor sharp teeth. Viral was torn between finding it arousing and wanting to ravage him further, or apologizing and helping him clean up.

He settled for something in between. Carefully, Viral leaned in and took Simon's bottom lip in his mouth, gently sucking and licking away at the wound.

Simon groaned at the delicate attention he was receiving. Viral could feel his skin pulsing and getting hotter, which made him feel hot as well. He pressed closer to Simon, the entire length of his torso touching him. His claws raked gently down his sides, sending shivers down Simon's spine.

Viral still wasn't sure what compelled him to pounce on Simon like that. Especially after Simon shot him down before he even proposed anything. Before even Viral himself realized just how much he wanted him.

_Were my true feelings that obvious?_

Perhaps it was because, as he said to his partner during the final battle, things were never boring with him around. His primal craving for change and excitement and the beautiful chaos of possibility felt teased into awakening. As if Simon's will and power also became Viral's. "Combining", as he called it.

And when Simon said those three words, Viral understood what spiral energy was all about: Love and spirit.

And Viral wanted so much to be loved.

* * *

Simon and Viral awoke to a room that looked like a hurricane had ravaged it. Anything not bolted down was overturned, broken, or scattered. Simon sat up and rubbed the sleep off his face as he remembered the night he shared with the man next to him.

Viral stretched out like a cat and yawned widely. He turned over, resting on an elbow, and nuzzled Simon's upper arm, "I could make a joke about 'combining' right now..."

Simon still wasn't quite sure how to deal with all this or why he had been so quick to seek comfort in such a manner. Nia flashed back into his mind, and he felt guilt weigh down on him. Had he just used Viral to forget his own pain? Even he couldn't say, though he was sure he genuinely cared for his friend, and decided to spare Viral his mental dialogue. There would be time for seriousness later when he was more sure of his own feelings. Simon settled on a laugh and a warm smile, "You know I'd have to hurt you if you did."

"I would just regenerate anyway. And I would have the satisfaction of bothering you," Viral retorted.

"So what are we going to tell everyone?"

"Does it matter? You're leaving anyway."

"I suppose you're right...But if you were to come with me, you wouldn't have to deal with the gossip either." _Ok, so maybe I do want him._

Viral smiled, his sharp fangs poking out, "Is that an offer?"

Simon put an arm around his partner, "I chose you for a reason, didn't I?"


End file.
